Unpaid Debts
by kyrdwyn
Summary: 419 at Grissom's house -- Finished 4/7/02
1. The Crime Scene

Title: Unpaid Debts  
  
Author: kyrdwyn  
  
Rating: R  
  
Spoilers: None that I can think of right now  
  
Archive: To my website and Fanfiction.net only  
  
Summary: 419 at Grissom's House  
  
Disclaimer: If they appear on CSI, they belong to those companies, CBS, and the actors who make them come alive. The other characters, as well as the plot lines, are mine (or I'm theirs, never quite sure which). Done purely for enjoyment and not for profit.  
  
Thanks to Jordyn for coming up with the title  
  
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*  
  
Margie Thomas ducked under the crime scene tape and entered the house. As she had been trained to do years before, she let her eyes take a quick but thorough sweep of the scene. The brown eyes stopped at the man on the couch, and then flew to Detective Vega in shock. He slowly nodded, confirming the questions in her eyes. Margie sighed and moved over to the bedroom, where several uniformed officers were standing around, talking. Taking in the scene, Margie looked at the officers.  
  
"Out!" she ordered them. They looked at the diminutive CSI staring at them with her arms folded across her chest. "Now! Before you contaminate the scene more than you have. Or would you rather I view all of you as suspects?"  
  
The officers left. Vega stood in the doorway as Margie surveyed the room. There was a female body lying on the bed, dried blood trailing from the wound in her chest to the larger stain on the sheets. A semi-automatic that looked like the police issued weapon she carried lay on the floor near the bed, a used condom not far from it. Setting down the steel field kit she carried, Margie pulled on a pair of latex gloves and opened the top of the kit to retrieve her clipboard and a pen.  
  
Silently, she began taking notes and photographs before gathering the evidence into containers and envelopes for transport back to the lab. Margie had never been one to talk aloud to herself at a crime scene. She had worked with other investigators who felt the need to fill up the space with their chatter and observations. Margie hated that. The evidence should speak to them, not the other way around.  
  
Those who had worked with Margie knew her quirks. Some of the others on dayshift had nicknamed her "Lady Grissom" for being as odd as the nightshift supervisor. But not one of them could say that Margie didn't get the job done. And this case, she knew, needed that kind of precision. Not because of who the victim was, but because of who the first suspect was: Gil Grissom.  
  
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~* 


	2. Gathering the Evidence

Notes and Disclaimers are at the beginning of Chapter One.  
  
Part Two - Gathering The Evidence  
  
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*  
  
Once the body had been released to the David Phillips from the coroner's office, Margie finished working on the scene. She hadn't called in backup from her shift. David would keep his mouth shut, and Vega would handle the cops. Margie rarely talked to anyone about her cases unless Ecklie ordered her to. And with Ecklie at a conference in Texas, leaving Margie in charge of the shift, no one else needed to know. Margie didn't want others questioning her actions while she was gathering the evidence.  
  
Slipping the last evidence bag into the box she'd placed outside the bedroom door, Margie considered the man still sitting on the couch. Vega stood near him, but Margie ignored the detective. She was assessing Grissom as another piece of evidence, trying to determine what she would need from him to solve the case and placate those who would be reviewing her work. GSR test, definitely. DNA sample as well. His fingerprints were in the system already, and Vega would see to getting his statement.  
  
Once they had his statement and she'd analyzed what she'd found in the bedroom, she'd know if she needed any other samples from Grissom.  
  
Margie took the box out to her Tahoe and set it carefully into the back. She pulled out the trace metal analysis kit and the NAA kit from their box and walked back into the house. She set the NAA down on the floor near Grissom's feet and removed the aerosol can and black light from the trace metals kit.  
  
"I need your hands," she told the older CSI.  
  
Grissom's blue eyes looked up at her, hauntingly vacant and dazed. She'd seen that expression in other suspects before, when they realized what had happened and were trying to come to terms with it. Slowly, he held out his hands to Margie. She sprayed his hands and ran the light over them. Her facial expression didn't change, but Grissom's and Vega's did as it became painfully obvious that Grissom had held a gun in his right hand recently.  
  
"Did you pick up the gun in the bedroom, Gil?" Detective Vega asked as Margie handed him the light so she could photograph the results of the test. Grissom didn't say anything. He merely watched as Margie began preparing the neutron activation analysis swabs.  
  
"I need your hands again."  
  
Grissom nodded and let Margie do her job. The test came up positive for gunpowder residue. She avoided Grissom's eyes as she carefully packed the swabs away. She removed another swab for the DNA sample. Grissom made no protest, simply letting Margie take the sample. When she was done, he leaned heavily against the couch, the odd expression still in his eyes.  
  
Detective Vega pulled Margie off to one side. "I don't know what do to…"  
  
Margie thoughtfully chewed on her lower lip. "It's looking bad for him, Sam, but let's not do anything irreversible just yet. I haven't finished processing the house. Take him and get his statement, but I don't want to ruin his life unless I have no choice."  
  
Sam nodded and walked back to Grissom. The CSI stood up unsteadily, swaying a little as he walked to the front door. Detective Vega reached out an arm to stabilize the other man. Margie watched from the doorway. It almost looked like Grissom was drunk, though she hadn't smelled any alcohol. She made a mental note to get a blood and urine sample from him later. When the two men had left for the station, Margie turned to finish her work in the other rooms of the house. But from what she had seen, there would be no evidence to clear Grissom.  
  
  
  
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~* 


	3. The Autopsy

Notes and Disclaimers are at the beginning of Chapter One.  
  
Part Three - The Autopsy  
  
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*  
  
When Margie returned to the lab, she was glad the lab techs and other CSIs seemed to be oblivious to her latest case. Apparently, word hadn't gotten around about the victim being at Grissom's house, or Grissom being the suspect.  
  
She hurried over to the morgue to find Dr. Robbins finishing up the autopsy. "Sorry, I wanted to take my time," she apologized.  
  
"I can understand," he replied. "David mentioned where she was found."  
  
Margie raised an eyebrow at the oblique reference and fixed Dr. Robbins with a direct gaze. "I'm doing my job, nothing more, nothing less. What I find goes into my report, good, bad, or in between."  
  
Dr. Robbins nodded at the vehement statement. He understood the position Margie was going to be in. Between a rock and a hard place - Ecklie and the sheriff on one side and Grissom's team on another. Sighing, because he knew whose side he wanted to be on and couldn't, he began running down the autopsy results.  
  
"Single gunshot wound, right to the chest. Tore open the aorta. She never had a chance."  
  
"Can you estimate a range?"  
  
"There was stippling in the wound, so I would say close range. Less than two feet."  
  
Margie nodded. "Anything else?"  
  
Dr. Robbins looked uncomfortable. "She, ah, had intercourse not long before her death. I didn't find any bruising to indicate it was non- consensual. I sent the vaginal swabs to the lab for analysis."  
  
"I found a condom near the bed. Probably not going to find any seminal fluid." Margie put her hand to her forehead. "This does not look good, David."  
  
The medical examiner nodded slowly. "I ran into a few cases like this in Virginia, Margie. They're not easy on the investigator. If you ever want to talk…"  
  
Margie smiled gratefully at Dr. Robbins. "Thanks. I might take you up on that."  
  
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~* 


	4. Keeping the Case

Notes and Disclaimers are at the beginning of Chapter One.

Part Four  - Keeping the Case

*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*

Margie could almost hear the words of Babylon 5's Vorlon Ambassador Kosh in her mind as she entered the break room for a cup of coffee_.  And so it begins…_

"Grissom wouldn't do this, Brian."

"Catherine, the victim was found in his bed, with a gunshot wound to her chest, gunshot residue on his hands."

"That alone was enough to arrest him at his house - especially since he can't give a coherent statement of what happened.  I'm going to have to talk with Margie about not letting Vega do his job."

Ecklie's voice grated on Margie's nerves.  When the hell did he get back from Texas, she wondered.  

"Sheriff, you know Grissom couldn't have done this."

"You're not going to let her take over this case," Ecklie protested.  "If anyone takes it over, it should be me.  Grissom and I are of equal rank, different shifts."

"If you let either one of them take over this case, a good defense attorney will use that against us in court and vilify you in the press, Sheriff."

All three turned to Margie.  "What do you mean, Investigator Thomas?"

Margie gestured to her supervisor and the night shift CSI.  "If you let Ms. Willows or any member of Grissom's team take over, and someone other than Grissom is arrested for the crime, the press will play it up as you playing favorites and protecting your CSIs by not treating them like any other suspect.  The defense attorney will claim that they framed whoever gets arrested to protect Grissom's ass."

"My point exactly," Ecklie said with a smirk.

Margie fixed her supervisor with a cold stare.  "And if you turn this case over to Ecklie, and Grissom is arrested for the crime, it will be played as a witch hunt in the press and to the jury - his problems with the two of you being very well known.  The defense attorney will argue that the real killer went free while Grissom was framed because the two of you needed a way to get him out of CSI permanently."

The sheriff regarded Margie calmly for a second.  "What are you suggesting, then?"

"Leave me on the case.  I have no stake in this.  I don't care if Grissom is or isn't the perp.  If he is, then he's going down; if he's not, then I'll get the bastard who did it.  But I'm probably the only person who can investigate this case impartially.  Yeah, I'm the newest person in CSI, but I've got eight years of experience on the job.  I'm also not going to benefit from the outcome," Margie added with a glance at the other two.

The sheriff looked from Margie to Willows to Ecklie.  Finally he nodded.  "The case is yours…for now.  I want to be kept apprised of the investigation."  He turned and walked out of the break room.  Margie followed, not saying a word to either of the other two.

*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*


	5. It Doesn't Look Good

Notes and Disclaimers are at the beginning of Chapter One.  
  
Part Five - It Doesn't Look Good  
  
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*  
  
"Greg, it's hard to work with you staring over my shoulder."  
  
Sanders backed off. "Sorry Margie…it's just…I'm not used to having other people working in my lab."  
  
"I know...but with the sheriff being so itchy on this case I don't want to take any chances of having the case compromised. I know you wouldn't, but the more people working on this case, the more chance a defense attorney can claim that we decided to 'crunch evidence to fit a theory'."  
  
Greg smiled at Margie's choice of words. "Quoting Grissom while investigating him?"  
  
Margie shrugged as the machine finished its analysis of the DNA in the condom and the sample from Grissom. Greg pulled the results from the printer and handed it to Margie. She let him read over her shoulder.  
  
"Damn it."  
  
Margie shrugged. "It's not like this was unexpected, Greg. The condom was found at his bedside."  
  
"Yeah, but it's hard to imagine Grissom with a sex life."  
  
Margie looked at Greg. "Why? He's human and male, just like you."  
  
"Yeah, but he's…Grissom"  
  
Margie chuckled as she walked out of the lab. Everyone was seeing a new side of Grissom.  
  
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*  
  
"Margie!"  
  
Catherine's voice burst into Margie's contemplation of the evidence gathered from Grissom's home. The brunette looked up at Catherine. "What?" she practically snarled.  
  
Catherine's head snapped back as if she had been hit. "Well, good morning to you too."  
  
Margie sighed. "I'm sorry, Catherine…ever since the news of this case hit I've got your entire shift looking over my shoulder plus Ecklie trying to convince me to just let Vega arrest Grissom. I'm about to pull the fire alarm and evacuate the building so I can work in peace."  
  
Catherine smiled. "Guess we're all riding you hard on this one. And I'm about to add to that. I read Vega's write up on Grissom's statement…did you notice anything odd about what Grissom said?"  
  
"Other than he didn't remember much after stopping at the bar on the way home until he woke up with a gun in his hand and a dead woman in his bed?"  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"I'm ahead of you, Catherine. I already got blood and urine samples and ran them. He was no where near the legal definition of drunk, and I didn't find anything that could cause the amnesia he's describing." She handed Catherine the reports.  
  
Staring at the reports, Catherine sat down heavily. "God, Margie, this isn't Grissom. I've known him for ten years - he could never do something like this!"  
  
"Catherine…he'd been working on the Swenson case for three months, trying to create a profile to catch him."  
  
"Yeah. We finally made the arrest last week."  
  
"What if this is the one case that he couldn't let go?" At Catherine's noise of protest, Margie held up her hand. "We've all seen it, Cath. The bodies, the senseless violence, the helplessness of living victims and the families…it gets to people and they burn out. I can't tell you how many cases like that I worked when I was in Dallas. How people handle it is as different as their personalities. Some quit, some suicide, and some…just snap."  
  
Catherine nodded. She'd seen it before, as well.  
  
"Grissom's been in the death-investigation field since he was, what, 22? That's almost a quarter of a century, Catherine. A long time…and you know how few outlets he has outside the job."  
  
Catherine let out a sigh. "You've got a point, but I still don't think that's what happened here."  
  
Margie smiled sympathetically. "You're his friend, Catherine. I'm just a colleague. All I can do is analyze the evidence. And the evidence just doesn't look good for Grissom. His prints were on the gun, the trace analysis and the NAA both show he held and fired the gun. It's his service weapon. Sam and I talked to people at the bar - they remember him coming in and ordering a beer. They remember the woman striking up a conversation with him, and the two of them leaving together. I found three sets of fingerprints in his house - his, the victim's, and yours. Only his and the victim's were in the bedroom. The condom with his DNA was on the floor. The autopsy showed the victim had sex less than an hour before she died. He can't tell us anything about that night - or he won't tell us anything about it. All of this is pointing to Grissom being the killer."  
  
Catherine was silent as Margie laid out the evidence. The day shift CSI was right. The evidence was against Gil. She started as Margie leaned forward to touch her arm. Margie's eyes were troubled.  
  
"Catherine…I have to file my report with the sheriff. You know he's going to say we've got probable cause to arrest Grissom."  
  
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~* 


	6. Second Opinion

Notes and Disclaimers are at the beginning of Chapter One.  
  
Part Six - Second Opinion  
  
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*  
  
Nick, Sara, Greg, and Warrick were sitting the break room when Catherine walked in. Silently, she held out the case folder.  
  
Nick looked up at her. "Catherine, I thought we were ordered to stay away from the case."  
  
"Ordered to stay away from the evidence. Nothing about not looking at the paperwork," the redhead replied. The others gave her a doubtful look. "Guys, this is Grissom we're talking about here. Now, unless you honestly believe he's capable of killing that woman, I think we owe it to Grissom to take a look at the evidence." Catherine glared at all of them, daring them to say they believed Grissom was a killer.  
  
Sara was the first to reach for the folder. She opened it and spread the contents on the table, the others coming around to stand behind her. They began with the crime scene photos and Margie's notes, moving onto the various lab reports. The fingerprint results showing that Catherine, Grissom, and the victim were the only ones who'd been in his house. The ballistics report matching the bullets in Grissom's service weapon to the slug found in the wall of his bedroom. The DNA results from the condom. The witness statements from the patrons at the bar, saying that Grissom left in the victim's company. Grissom's statement, saying he didn't remember anything from that night, other than going into the bar and then waking up the next morning. The results of the blood and urine analysis showing that no one could even try to claim he wasn't sober.  
  
Sara sighed. "There's got to be something we're missing."  
  
Everyone agreed with her, but no one could say what could be missing. Margie had been as thorough as they would have been on this case.  
  
Nick looked over at Greg, who was frowning at one of the lab reports. "What's wrong, Greg?"  
  
"Anyone got a magnifying glass on them?" the tech asked. They all looked at each other blankly, but Warrick pulled one out of the pocket of his jacket.  
  
Greg took the glass and held it over the paper. "I thought so."  
  
"Thought what, Greg?" Sara asked with a trace of irritation.  
  
He handed the report and the magnifying glass over to the brunette. "On the urine analysis report -- look at the lines around the section saying there were no foreign substances found in the sample -- it's like someone put another sheet of paper over this area and then photocopied it. And here -- look at the way part of each word on the right margin is missing. My printer is working fine, but the ballistics copier has been doing that for weeks now. Bobby can't get anyone to authorize a repair order."  
  
"So someone took the real report, covered up part of it and made a copy, making it look like there wasn't something when there was." Sara's voice was quiet. "Is there any way of getting a copy of the original report?"  
  
"Whoever did this probably shredded the original, just in case," Nick remarked.  
  
Greg smiled. "The computer stores all the results of analysis samples for a certain amount of time, just in case a comparison needs to be run." He headed for his domain, the others following. Sara gathered up the case folder before joining them. As she did, she noticed that Margie had handled everything -- processed the scene alone, run every sample, and sat in on every interview except Grissom's. Like she was afraid of letting someone else handle the evidence. Like she was afraid of what they might see.  
  
Joining the others, she found them staring at Greg's printer. The paper had barely hit the plastic tray when he grabbed it and held it up for everyone to see.  
  
"Flunitrazepam," Catherine said disbelievingly.  
  
Warrick shook his head. "Someone gave Grissom Rohypnol? That's a date rape drug."  
  
"Used to lower inhibitions and induce amnesia so the victim doesn't remember the attack," Nick pointed out. "It explains why Grissom can't tell us anything about that night. Whoever did this wanted to make sure he didn't remember."  
  
"Margie told me she didn't find anything foreign in Grissom's samples, why would cover this up?" Catherine asked. "This goes a long way towards exonerating Grissom."  
  
"Margie was the only one who handled this case. She didn't even allow Greg to process the samples," Sara said slowly. "Either she was being really careful, or…"  
  
"Or she knew that Grissom had been drugged," Greg said with horror. "She somehow knew, and since she was running dayshift when the call came in --"  
  
"She assigned herself to the case." Warrick's eyes were wide. "She's at his house now…she said she wanted to wait with him while Vega got the warrant."  
  
The four CSI's and the lab tech gaped at each other for a second. Catherine recovered first. "Sara, you and Greg take the reports and track down Vega. Get him to hold off on that warrant. Nick, Warrick -- we're going to Grissom's."  
  
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~* 


	7. Choices

Notes and Disclaimers are at the beginning of Chapter One.

Part Seven - Choices

*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*

Grissom was standing at the counter that separated his kitchen area from his living room.  His hands were against the counter, bracing his body weight as he leaned forward, staring at the Formica.  Margie stood on the other side, arms folded across her chest.

"I swear, Margie, I don't remember what happened.  You don't honestly think that I…that I…"

Margie shook her head.  "Grissom, this is not about what I think.  It's about the evidence.  I can't hold off the sheriff or Vega anymore."

Grissom looked up at her, his blue eyes confused and saddened.  "They're going to arrest me," he said softly.

Margie nodded.

Grissom seemed to fold in on himself, even though he didn't move.  Margie almost felt sorry for him.  Almost.

Removing the service weapon from her holster, Margie set it on the counter.  Grissom looked at it, then at her.  "Margie, what are you doing?"

"Giving you an option."

Grissom shook his head.  "No."

"Once they arrest you, your career here is over.  What are you going to do then?"

"I have options, Margie.  Other than what you're offering.  I can teach --"

"Grissom, that's only if you're cleared!  If not…you're looking at life in prison.  In prison with every perp you've helped put away.  How long do you think you'll last?"

"No, Margie.  I will not take my own life.  If I'm convicted, so be it."

Margie regarded Grissom calmly.  She'd known he wouldn't do that.  He wasn't the type to take the easy way out of an adverse situation.  Still, it would have made her life easier.  Picking up her gun, she moved around the counter, aiming at Grissom.  He looked up, shocked.

"Margie?"

"You're a man of integrity, Grissom.  I admire that.  You would have made it easier for me if you had taken your own life, though.   Guess I'll just have to be extra careful in staging this crime scene."

Grissom's eyes widened.  "You killed that woman."

Margie nodded.  "My only regret is that you will never truly know how much it cost Annie to sleep with you, Grissom.  She hated you more than I ever could.  You took away the one thing she lived for."

He slowly backed away from Margie.  "What do you mean?"

"Her husband.  My brother.  You killed him.  Oh, you didn't stick the shank into his chest, but you put him in jail."  She cocked her head at Grissom.  "You probably don't even remember the case.  Andrew Jones."

Grissom nodded.  "I remember.  He was accused of murdering his co-worker.  We had the gun with his fingerprints and he had gunpowder on his shirt.  He was arrested and killed while awaiting trial.  Five days after his death there was another murder, same circumstances."

"And that killer confessed to the first murder with enough detail to convince you he had done it," Margie snarled.  "In the meantime, Andrew died because you wouldn't look beyond your precious evidence to check his alibi, or the logs at the shooting range he visited."

"I'm sorry, Margie," he said quietly.  "It was a mistake.  One I've regretted."

"Oh yeah, right," she snorted.  "You weren't the one who had to watch your brother's spirit die day by day in that place.  You didn't have to pick up the pieces after he was killed in jail for a crime he didn't commit.  You didn't have to watch Annie slide slowly into a soul-killing depression because she couldn't live without him."

"It was five years ago, Margie."  Grissom couldn't believe that Margie had killed her own sister in law just to frame him.  He kept slowly retreated, trying to think of a way to get out of Margie's range or get the gun away from her.

"Annie was pregnant when Andrew was killed.  She lost the baby in her grief.  You know what that did to her?  No husband, no baby - nothing left to live for.  Andrew was all I had left in the world, too, and I believed that science would clear him.  You were one of the top CSIs in the country; there was no way my baby brother would be arrested with you on the case.  But you let us down, Grissom.  I can't forgive you for that."

"Why kill me?  Why not let me be arrested?"

"Because, there is always the chance that someone will discover you were drugged that night.  Rohypnol stays in the system for 72 hours."

Grissom nodded, slowly understanding what had happened that night.  He remembered going to the bar for a drink.  He remembered a woman sitting down next to him, and then he remembered waking up in his bed with her cold, naked corpse next to him.  "Annie drugged me at the bar."

*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*

_Grissom gave a polite smile to the redhead as she sat down next to him.  She smiled back.  "Come here often?" she asked._

_A few minutes later, Grissom turned away when a shout erupted from a group in the corner.  The redhead immediately pulled a small white pill out of her purse and dropped it into the brown beer bottle.  By the time Grissom turned back to her, she was sipping at her margarita, like nothing had happened._

*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*

"In half an hour, when Annie suggested the two of you go someplace quiet, you were more than willing.  You didn't even notice that Annie didn't shut the door to your house, allowing me to enter.  You were too caught up in Annie's charms."

*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*

_Two bodies were entwined on the bed, the redhead moving on top of Grissom.  Margie waited in the living room, her brown hair ruthlessly pulled back into a bun to prevent stray hairs from escaping.  She adjusted the fit of the leather gloves over the latex pair she wore.  Leaning down, she retrieved Grissom's service weapon from its holster.  A satisfied male groan sounded from the bedroom, and Margie turned her head.  Her eyes were cold, emotionless.  She hoped Grissom was enjoying Annie, because she was the last woman he would ever have in his bed._

*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*

"I don't understand how you could kill your own sister-in-law."

"It was her idea."

*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*

_Grissom lay dazed on the bed, eyes closed, the drug fully active in his system now.  Annie signaled to Margie, who entered the room._

_"There's still time, Annie.  Time to change your mind."_

_The woman shook her head.  "No.  He has to pay for taking everything away from me.  I have to take everything away from him.  This is the only way, Margie."  Annie's eyes were pleading.  "I want to see my husband and baby again."_

_Margie finally nodded.  She, too, wanted Grissom to suffer the loss of what he loved the most.  His job.  She managed to coax him into a sitting position, placing his gun into his right hand.  Annie lay on the bed, eyes closed.  Margie aimed carefully, knowing that with her hand guiding Grissom's, the trajectory could be off._

_"I love you, Annie," she said softly._

_Annie opened her eyes and smiled at Margie.  "I love you too, sis."_

_Annie closed her eyes again and Margie pulled the trigger._

*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*

"I don't think you ever opened your eyes.  You were so out of it, thanks to the drug, that the gunshot didn't even bother you.  I let you collapse back on the bed to sleep it off, making sure you kept the gun in your hand."  Margie gave Grissom a nasty smile.  "You really do need to be more careful with your keys, Grissom.  It was way too easy for me to get a hold of yours and make a copy.  When I left here, I locked up the house.  Nothing to indicate anyone else had ever been here."

Grissom never took his eyes off his colleague, trying to anticipate her next move.   "Why are you telling me this, Margie?  Why not just kill me?"

"Because I wanted you to know why your life was being ruined.  Andrew didn't have that luxury."  Margie stopped following Grissom's movements and took careful aim, smiling sadly.  "It really was a pleasure to work with you, Gil."

Grissom closed his eyes and turned to duck.  He didn't make it before she fired.

*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*


	8. Belief

Notes and Disclaimers are at the beginning of Chapter One.  
  
Part Eight - Belief  
  
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*  
  
"Gris -- you okay?"  
  
He was still standing, he realized. Grissom opened his eyes to see Warrick's concerned face. He nodded, swallowing.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Nick was standing not far from Grissom, his gun still in his hands, aimed at Margie. Catherine was kneeling by the prone woman. "She's still alive. Nice shot, Nick."  
  
Nick nodded. He lowered his weapon, but like the cop he had once been, he didn't holster it, instead keeping it by his side, easily ready to fire again.  
  
"How did you guys --" Grissom began.  
  
"There was no way we were letting this case go by without us at least looking at the paperwork," Catherine explained as Warrick radioed for an ambulance. "Greg noticed a problem in one of the reports - someone had covered up the fact that you were drugged. Once we realized that Margie was the only person who could have done that --"  
  
"We needed to confront her before they arrested you," Nick finished. Grissom looked at the young man. Despite the fact that Margie was unconscious with Catherine trying to stem the bleeding from the gunshot wound, Nick was still holding onto his weapon. Grissom managed to force a smile for the younger man.  
  
"I think you can put the gun away, Nick."  
  
Nick looked down. "Sorry," he said, not sounding sorry at all. "Just wanted to make sure…"  
  
Grissom nodded, knowing what Nick didn't say. Given the extent of Margie's effort to frame Grissom, Nick wanted to make sure that Margie wasn't going to be able to try anything else.  
  
"Sara and Greg went to intercept Vega," Warrick remarked as the sounds of police cars and ambulances drew closer.  
  
"Gil…when we got here, we heard what she said…about wanting to ruin your life."  
  
He nodded at Catherine, thinking about how close Margie had come to achieving her goal. He looked down at the woman as the paramedics and cops arrived, the cops immediately harassing Nick because of his drawn gun. Warrick stepped over to play peacemaker. Catherine walked over to Grissom as the paramedics loaded Margie onto a stretcher.  
  
"You know we never believed you were guilty," Catherine said quietly.  
  
Grissom looked at her, and Catherine could see how badly the whole ordeal had shaken him. "I wish I could have had your belief, Catherine."  
  
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~* 


	9. I Don't Remember

Notes and Disclaimers are at the beginning of Chapter One.

Spoilers in this Chapter: Alter Boys

Part Nine - I Don't Remember

*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*

Grissom was sitting in his chair, staring into space.  Margie's arraignment had been that morning, and he had been there to watch as the former CSI had pled not guilty to the misdemeanor pointing of a firearm charge that the DA claimed was all they could charge her with.  Frankly, Catherine didn't know where the younger woman got the guts to plead not guilty after she and the two men had seen her aiming her gun at Grissom.  If Nick hadn't shot Margie, she probably would have shot Grissom, making the charge murder or attempted murder.  But they couldn't prove that, the DA claimed.  

They couldn't charge her with Annie Jones' death, either, even after her confession to Grissom.  Since Nick, Catherine, and Warrick had arrived after Margie's recitation of what really happened, her attorney would argue that the confession was hearsay.  Without anyone to back up Grissom's version, it would never be allowed into court.

Grissom had been quiet since that night in his house.  More quiet than usual.  Catherine knew what was bothering him, but she hadn't been able to get him to say it out loud again.  

He hadn't known whether or not he had killed Annie Jones.  For those long hours, Grissom had to face a side of himself that he had never really confronted.  He'd had to consider the fact that he could take a human life.  Not in self defense, not in defense of someone else - but a cold-blooded murder.

Even with Margie's confession, Grissom still didn't know and would never know what really happened that night.  He could piece together the evidence and maybe imagine what occurred, but thanks to the drug, he would never have his own memories.  A woman had died not three feet from him, and he could not remember her death.

"Come on in, Catherine."

She entered slowly and sank down into one of the visitor's chairs.  "You okay?"

"I just keep wondering how many others…"

"Don't, Grissom.  You keeping thinking like that and you won't be able to do this job."

"I'm not sure I can anymore, now," he said softly.

Catherine stared at him, stunned.  In ten years, she couldn't recall Grissom saying anything about leaving.  

"Margie's brother died because I didn't look deep enough.  Ben Jennings died when I knew he was innocent but couldn't prove it.  How many other innocent people, Catherine?  We're supposed to protect them, not facilitate their deaths."

"Gil --"

He cut her off.  "Annie Jones died because she wanted revenge, _and I don't remember her death!_  I don't remember Margie putting a gun into my hand and pulling the trigger.  All I know is that Annie came onto me in a bar and when I woke up the next morning, she was dead."

Catherine sighed.  "Margie got her wish, then."

His head snapped up.  "What do you mean?"

She leaned forward.  "Margie and Annie wanted to do to you what they thought you did to them - take away the one thing that mattered.  Personally, I don't think they were quite right in the head, planning this for five years.  Margie was good to be able to hide her hatred of you while working here.  Hell, I never would have suspected her."

Grissom raised an eyebrow, as if to say '_your point'_?

"If you leave now, then they've succeeded.  I know how much this job means to you, Gil.  They knew how much it means to you.  They probably figured that even if you weren't arrested, you'd be so shaken that you would leave."  Grissom stayed silent.  Catherine continued softly.  "I know this has forced you to think about your job and yourself in ways we never want to.  I know you're wondering how someone could work with you for three months and hate you so much she was planning to frame and kill you.  Margie is the only person who can answer that."

"And I can't talk to her because I haven't officially been cleared."

Catherine sighed.  He hadn't officially been cleared. Yes, another sample had shown that there was Flunitrazepam in his system. But that didn't prove that he hadn't done it.  That only slowed down the investigation.

"Gil, just promise me you won't do anything rash, okay?"

Grissom looked at her, seeing how worried she was.  He nodded.  Catherine smiled sadly, not really reassured.

*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*


	10. Confrontation

Notes and Disclaimers are at the beginning of Chapter One.  
  
Part Ten - Confrontation  
  
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*  
  
Catherine should have been more worried about someone else. When it became known that Margie had made bail, two people who rarely had anything in common found themselves at her doorstep, both eager to confront her.  
  
"What are you doing here, Greg?"  
  
"I could ask you the same thing, Captain."  
  
Both men knew why they were there - they wanted to clear Grissom. Both wanted to see if they could get Margie to confess.  
  
Margie opened the door before either man could knock. "Greg. Brass." She leaned against the doorjamb. The white bandage that ran around her right arm starkly contrasted with the black sling and tank top she wore. "What can I do for you?"  
  
"May we come in?" Brass asked politely.  
  
"No."  
  
Greg stared at Margie, unable to reconcile the sharp CSI he knew - the one who knew her way around the DNA lab and would bring in rock CDs to listen to - with the cold, calculating woman she apparently was. The one who had calmly plotted with her sister in law to frame Grissom by killing the other woman, and then attempted to kill him.  
  
Greg could hear Brass talking to Margie. The woman was silent, staring at Brass. Whatever he was saying wasn't getting through to her. Frustrated, Brass gave up and walked away. A smile played on the edge of Margie's lips. Greg glared at her.  
  
"Margie -- how could you? How could you work with him and try to frame him? Try to kill him? How would that solve anything?"  
  
Margie regarded Greg impassively.  
  
Greg sighed and turned away. "Grissom's team won't stop until he's cleared," he warned her. Margie kept her eyes on Greg as he walked to his car. Greg looked back at Margie before he drove away. She was still watching him.  
  
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~* 


	11. Another Crime Scene

Notes and Disclaimers are at the beginning of Chapter One.  
  
Part Eleven - Another Crime Scene  
  
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*  
  
Catherine and Warrick ducked under the crime scene tape and entered the house. Brass met them in the foyer.  
  
"Neighbor heard the gunshot around two am and called it in. Uniforms found her dead in her bathroom, kneeling over the tub."  
  
"Cop's suicide," Warrick remarked. "Easy investigation, easy cleanup."  
  
"The also found the VCR running in the living room. There's a camcorder attached to it." Brass looked ill. "I know what Grissom said she had told him, but hearing it from her own mouth…."  
  
Catherine blinked. "She confessed?"  
  
Brass nodded. "On video tape. To everything, down to every last detail."  
  
"Wonder what changed her mind," Warrick mused.  
  
"Sanders, apparently."  
  
Both CSIs looked startled. Brass gave a half smile. "The two of us showed up at her door earlier today. I tried to talk sense into her, but she ignored me, so I left. Whatever Greg said to her must have gotten through. She tells him on the tape that he was right."  
  
"Wow," Warrick said. "Anything else?"  
  
Brass nodded again. "But I think that's something Grissom needs to see."  
  
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~* 


	12. Back to Work

Notes and Disclaimers are at the beginning of Chapter One.  
  
Part Twelve - Back to Work  
  
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*  
  
"You were right, Greg. This didn't solve anything. Nothing's changed. Andrew's still dead. As for Grissom's team, you were definitely right. Catherine and Sara would hunt me from hell to breakfast. You and Warrick would go back over every shred of evidence with a fine-tooth comb." Margie's image on the television screen in the break room laughed and raised a hand the to bandage on her arm. "Nick's already shot me." She shook her head. "I didn't count on one thing, Grissom. I didn't count on your friends. I hope you know how lucky you are. Andrew, Annie, and I only had each other." She sighed, looking down. She was silent for several minutes. When she finally spoke, it was barely a whisper. "And now I have no one. Treasure what you have, Grissom."  
  
Margie got up and moved off camera. There wasn't a sound in the break room as Grissom left the tape running. A gunshot sounded in the distance, causing everyone except Grissom to jump. He kept watching the video as it ran. After ten minutes, everyone was shifting in their seats, looking anywhere but at Grissom. He didn't turn off the tape until Brass appeared on the screen, turning Margie's VCR off.  
  
Grissom got up from the table and took the tape out of the VCR. He handed it back to Catherine. Before he walked out of the room, he clapped Greg on the shoulder.  
  
"Thanks, Greg."  
  
Greg squirmed in his chair, blushing. Grissom looked at the rest of his team and gave a half smile. "Thanks, guys. For everything."  
  
He left the room. The rest looked at each other. "Is that it?" Sara asked.  
  
Catherine slid the tape back into the evidence bag. "Based on Margie's confession on the tape, with detail, plus the fact that drug was still in his system, Grissom's cleared of any involvement in Annie Jones' death. Margie's death was a suicide. Yeah, that's it."  
  
Greg was picking apart a blank sheet of paper that was sitting on the table. Sara noticed. "What's wrong, Greg?"  
  
The young chemist looked up at her. "I guess I still don't get it."  
  
"Get what?"  
  
"Margie. What she did, what she tried to do."  
  
Warrick slowly shook his head. "On a case like this, Greg, the only person who truly understands is the person who did it."  
  
"So, what, you guys just go back to work and hope that none of your suspects have crazy relatives who plan to frame you five years from now? How do you deal with that?"  
  
The four CSIs looked at each other. None of them had an answer for that, because they usually didn't consider it. Greg sensed the uncomfortable currents in the room and stood. "I think I'm going back to my lab now." He disappeared.  
  
"I honestly didn't know how to answer that," Sara confessed.  
  
"Neither did I." Catherine admitted. "I don't think Grissom would, either."  
  
"What's Grissom going to do now?" Nick asked the question that was on everyone's mind. They all knew, without anyone saying anything, that Grissom had been considering quitting. This whole case had shaken him like no other case had.  
  
"Why don't you ask me that, Nick?" Grissom's voice sounded from the door way behind them. No one had noticed him return.  
  
Nick shifted in his seat as Grissom regarded him with an inquisitive expression on his face. "Okay, what are you going to do now?" he finally repeated.  
  
Grissom gave a half smile. "I'm going to head down to the Rio with Sara to work on a 419. You and Catherine have a 407 out in Henderson. Warrick, you've got a 418 missing person case at the Bellagio." Grissom handed them the assignment slips. "Let's get back to work."  
  
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*  
  
Finis  
  
[Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who left feedback for me on any of my stories. I really do appreciate it. Now go read other author's fic and/or write some of your own! I'll read it! ;) kyrdwyn] 


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